Basic Marinara Sauce
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/homemade-ravioli-and-marinara-52013-58667c813df78ce2c35a009e.jpg)
The Spruce / Diana Rattray
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving) | |
---|---|
105 | Calories |
5g | Fat |
13g | Carbs |
2g | Protein |
Nutrition Facts | |
---|---|
Servings: 4 to 8 | |
Amount per serving | |
Calories | 105 |
% Daily Value* | |
Total Fat 5g | 7% |
Saturated Fat 1g | 4% |
Cholesterol 0mg | 0% |
Sodium 27mg | 1% |
Total Carbohydrate 13g | 5% |
Dietary Fiber 3g | 9% |
Protein 2g | |
Calcium 58mg | 4% |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. |
This basic marinara sauce has great flavor and a nice texture. Use this sauce with any pasta dish. Use a food processor to chop the vegetables or chop them by hand and give it a quick blend at the end for a smooth texture.
Serve this marinara over your favorite spaghetti or ravioli or use it as a sauce for vegetable lasagna or manicotti. The recipe serves four as a main serving or eight as a dipping sauce or use in a recipe like lasagna. Double the marinara sauce recipe to make a big batch and freeze the extra sauce in two-cup or single-serve containers.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion (roughly chopped)
- 1 small carrot (roughly chopped)
- 1 rib celery (roughly chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)
- 3/4 cup water (or broth, as needed)
- 1 bay leaf (dried)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Optional: 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Steps to Make It
-
Gather the ingredients.
-
Put the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Or finely chop the vegetables by hand.
-
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the vegetables and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes.
-
Add the crushed tomatoes, water or broth, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper and basil (if using). Stir.
-
Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low; simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the cover and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
-
If you prefer a smooth sauce, purée it in batches in a blender. Make sure you never fill the blender more than one-third to one-half full with the hot sauce mixture. Leave the lid slightly cracked and cover with a folded kitchen towel in hand. Steam from hot liquids can blow the lid off of a blender if it's too full and tightly closed.
-
Use the finished marinara sauce immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer. Bring the sauce to a simmer before serving.
Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients
Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.
Tips
- If the sauce is too thick, add some extra water or a small amount of vegetable broth, chicken stock, or tomato juice.
- Use an immersion blender to purée the sauce.
- Use leftover marinara sauce as a dip for appetizers, such as spinach balls, fried mozzarella, breadsticks, fried seafood, or chicken nuggets.
- Instead of ketchup, spread marinara sauce over a homemade meatloaf or drizzle it over an omelet.
Recipe Variations
- The chopped carrot adds sweetness, but if it still tastes a bit acidic, add a small amount of sugar, to taste.
- Anchovy paste can add richness to marinara sauce. Add about 1/2 teaspoon of anchovy paste to the sauce.
What Is the Difference Between Marinara and Spaghetti Sauce?
There's very little difference between the two sauces. Marinara sauce is a meatless tomato-based sauce that cooks quickly, while spaghetti sauce is usually simmered for a longer period of time and often contains meat. Marinara sauce is fine to use on spaghetti and other kinds of pasta.
Recipe Tags: